Search form

Exclusive: MeTV Shares ‘Bugs Bunny’s Birthday Bash Week’ Promo

‘Toon in With Me’ celebrates 82 years of America’s favorite Wascally Wabbit, running July 25-29 with cartoons, stories, and insights on everything Bugs; check out July 24 ‘Collector’s Call’ profiling Looney Tunes and Bugs Bunny collector Laurence Sheinman.

It’s time to wish America’s favorite Wascally Wabbit a big happy birthday because this July marks the 82nd anniversary of Bugs Bunny’s official debut. To get the party going, MeTV has shared exclusive news and a promo with AWN to get the word out to fans everywhere, because… let’s be honest here… there are Bug fans EVERYWHERE!

The network is marking the event with a major birthday bash programming event, ‘Bugs Bunny’s Birthday Bash Week.’ It all starts on MeTV’s weekday morning show, Toon in With Me, beginning July 25, running the entire week through July 29. Set your alarms because it starts daily at 7:00 am ET/PT.

Bill the Cartoon Curator, Toony the Tuna, and the rest of the Toon in With Me gang will share a special daily themed collection of Bugs’ greatest cartoons, along with fascinating stories and insights from cartoon historians and Bugs Bunny experts.

The week kicks off on Monday, July 25 with “Bugs’ Firsts,” a themed collection of shorts that showcase memorable ‘firsts’ for Bugs, from his first “What’s up doc?” to his first face-off with Wile E. Coyote. It’s all about the signature moments that created the iconic character still known and loved today. Other daily themes throughout the week include “Bugs & Sports,” “Global Bugs'' and “Fairy Tale Bugs.” 

Created in the late 1930s by Warner Bros. Cartoons Inc., Bugs Bunny was brought to life by prolific voice actor Mel Blanc. He underwent several evolutions before making his first official appearance in 1940 in the Oscar-nominated animated short A Wild Hare, directed by Tex Avery. Bugs immediately delighted viewers with his glib, city-slicker persona and iconic catchphrase “What’s Up Doc?” He became a cultural icon, appearing in over 160 cartoon shorts, feature films, television series, comics, video games, and commercials. Bugs appeared in more films than any other cartoon character and is one of few to have his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Mark your calendars and set your alarms, the ‘Bugs Bunny’s Birthday Bash Week’ runs July 25-29 on Toon in With Me, every morning at 7:00 am ET/PT.

Monday, July 25 - “Bugs’ Firsts”

  • LOONEY431 “Porky’s Hare Hunt” (1938 - 1st prototype Bugs)
  • LOONEY640 “A Wild Hare” (1940 - 1st official Bugs, 1st “What’s up, doc?”)
  • LOONEY393 “Operation: Rabbit” (1952 - 1st Bugs vs. Wile E. Coyote)
  • LOONEY462 “Rabbit Fire” (1951 - 1st Bugs & Daffy)
  • LOONEY136 “Devil May Hare” (1954 - 1st Bug vs. Tasmanian Devil)

Tuesday, July 26 - “Bugs & Sports”

  • LOONEY026 “Baseball Bugs” (1946)
  • LOONEY778 “Rabbit Punch” (1948 - boxing)
  • LOONEY371 “My Bunny Lies Over the Sea” (1948 - golf)
  • LOONEY737 “High Diving Hare” (1949)
  • LOONEY697 “Bully for Bugs” (1953 - bullfighting)

Wednesday, July 27 - “Bugs’ Birthday”

Cartoons from across the decades of Bugs’ long career:

  • LOONEY261 “The Heckling Hare” (1941)
  • LOONEY250 “Hare-Abian Nights” (1959)
  • LOONEY627 “Wet Hare” (1962)
  • LOONEY054 “Blooper Bunny” (1997)
  • LOONEY241 “Hare and Loathing in Las Vegas” (2003)

Thursday, July 28 - “Global Bugs”

Bugs’ international adventures: 

  • LOONEY725 “French Rarebit” (1951)
  • LOONEY785 “Sahara Hare” (1955)
  • LOONEY249 “Hare We Go” (1951 - w/ Christopher Columbus)
  • LOONEY763 “Mutiny on the Bunny” (1950)
  • LOONEY687 “Ali Baba Bunny (1957)

Friday, July 29 - “Fairy Tale Bugs” 

  • LOONEY072 “Bugs Bunny & the Three Bears” (1944)
  • LOONEY336 “Little Red Riding Rabbit” (1944)
  • LOONEY643 “The Windblown Hare” (1949 - w/ the Three Little Pigs)
  • LOONEY040 “Bewitched Bunny” (1954 - w/ Hansel & Gretel)
  • LOONEY660 “Beanstalk Bunny” (1955)

Sunday, July 24 – Collector’s Call: “Laurence Sheinman - Looney Tunes”

MeTV gets an early start on Bugs Bunny celebration with a special episode of, Collector's Call, profiling a Looney Tunes and Bugs Bunny collector in “Laurence Sheinman - Looney Tunes,” airing Sunday, July 24 at 6:30 pm ET/PT.

In Collector’s Call, Lisa Whelchel (Facts of Life) explores the rarely seen private collections of the nation’s most prominent collectors of pop culture and nostalgia memorabilia, enlisting the help of professional appraisers and experts to value what the prized collectibles are worth. Next, the experts will try to tempt the collectors with a trade, offering a coveted item that could be the perfect addition to their collections. The collectors must then make an agonizing choice and decide how much they will give up for a new addition to the collection.

Viewers can find the complete network schedule and where to watch at www.metvnetwork.com.

Source: MeTV

Debbie Diamond Sarto's picture

Debbie Diamond Sarto is news editor at Animation World Network.